Rapid Response for SATURDAY, September 11, 2021

BOTH IN CONTEXT WITH AND ALSO WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ABORTION,
the subject of CONTRACEPTION should be discussed.
And here the practical Schism within the Roman Catholic Church is front and center for many millions of Americans and also laypeople of other Faiths.

For the Conservatives of the Magisterium (the teaching body of the Church), we read of:
1) the prohibition against all contraception, including non-abortifacient contraception;
2) the "Unitive Function of Sex", wherein the sex act can only be performed when open to procreation.

As a faithful and practising Catholic for nearly 89 years, the origin of these prohibitions is not known to me to be from Jesus Christ or directly from the Old or New Testaments of the Bible.
I also do not know of any Ex Cathedra statement by a Pope on these specific subjects.
I would be grateful to be informed of any such originating holdings.

And that leaves us in the situation where many millions of practising Catholics simply ignore those prohibitions, at least during child-bearing ages...resulting in the number of practising Catholics having decreased from 70% to less than 20% of the Laity ("the Body of the Church", according to the Church).

So, for those Conservatives (here read Cardinal Burke among others) worrying about precipitating a "Schism" if they deal realistically with non-abortifacient Contraception, and a broader function for human sexuality, and priest marriage, and for Communion for devout but divorced Catholics...and even for the Biology / Psychology of Homosexuality :  YOU HAVE CREATED A SCHISM. 
And pious words and thunder-bolts from Cardinals...and the fig-leaf of "the rhythm plan" will not suffice. (Even rhythm depends upon the conscious interference with Biology in order to thwart being "open to procreation"). 

At this point, only an enlightened Holy Father, the one and only Vicar of Christ on Earth, declaring Ex Cathedra on these subjects, can save the Church from this second Dark Age.
Pope Francis could be that Holy Father, reflecting the Justice and Mercy of God.

GS